That Time of Year

It’s hard to believe that winter festival time is already here. This year has flown by.  It brought a lot of positive movement for many of us. 

As we shift in to high gear for the holiday season I’d like to remind you that it wasn’t always this way. For most of our history winter celebrations were more contemplative. People took time with close friends and family in a very intimate way. 

People also saw it as a time for quiet reflection and planning for the year to come. Rightly so. For most of us, at least in the Northern hemisphere, the days are short, the weather cold, dreary, even down right freezing. What do you want to do when this type of weather arrives? Find a warm cave and stay there! That’s exactly what the traditional winter festivals were about. 

Gather together in the warm, safe, indoors. Be more introspective. Think about how the last year has gone for you and those you love. Consider the things that you might have done better. 

Candles and lights are also an important part of this winter ritual. They remind us that Spring will come. The light will return. In fact, it already has. As soon as we cross past the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, the days start to get longer. These celebrations provide us with hope. The sun will indeed return.

However you celebrate this time of year, take a little time out of your hectic schedule to think, to contemplate, to simply be. Allow this powerful time of year to push you inward. Discover what might lie in store for you as the New Year begins. 

All the best of the season to you, and yours, and my wishes for a fabulous 2015.

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